BASEBALL MLB ARTICLES

The NL East produced a championship team last season after the Washington Nationals caught fire in the month of June and carried the momentum all the way to the franchise’s first-ever World Series appearance and Commissioner’s Trophy win. A quick look at the futures odds for the winner of 2020’s abbreviated season lets it be known that oddsmakers once again expect this to be a very competitive division all the way through. The Atlanta Braves took the honors last season by way of logging a 97-65 ... 

The MLB regular season schedule has been a long and arduous one for decades. Many of its nay-sayers and detractors have wanted a shortened season that does away with the terrible weather in April and May as well as the wintry conditions teams are forced to compete in with the World Series on the line. The abbreviated 2020 season will offer some weather relief with the players set to begin the shortened season under the scorching hot sun at the end of July. Since the deal was finally struck betwe... 

Last year Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros won the American League Cy Young Award and is a justifiable favorite to do so again. But not the top favorite. That distinction goes to Verlander’s old Houston teammate, Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees. Cole signed the biggest contract in history for a pitcher this past offseason which set off a firestorm of Yankee hype and futures betting. And Cole has posted numbers good enough for Cy Young honors, despite the fact he has not ever won the award. Let’s take a look at what is a quality field in the American League for the 2020 Cy Young Award. ... 

For the past two years Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets has been the Cy Young Award winner in the National League. And it’s safe to say he has been far from a dominant pitcher. Perhaps it helps that he plays in New York where he gets extra media love and attention. But also, the fact that deGrom has won the Cy Young Award for the past two seasons is indicative of how the entire role of pitching, both starting and relieving, has changed dramatically. Once again deGrom is the favorite to win a third consecutive Cy Young Award. Let’s take a look at the top favorites in the National League for 2020. ... 

Following back to back playoff seasons that included nice profits on the MLB board the Colorado Rockies took a big step back in 2019 with a 71-91 record and plenty of red ink for gamblers. The 20-win drop was due in large part to one of the worst pitching performances in all of Major League Baseball. While the Rockies believe that the step back campaign was an aberration there is plenty of skepticism about that claim. Colorado did boast a productive lineup last year but if the pitching doesn’t p... 

For the third consecutive year the Arizona Diamondbacks enjoyed a winning season with a final 2019 record of 85-77. And much to the delight of gamblers, Arizona also posted a nice profit on the MLB board. Arizona has finished in second place to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West for the past three seasons. Overall, Arizona’s strength has also been its weakness. They are well balanced but have not done any one thing particularly well. This year the Diamondbacks are expected to ha... 

For the San Diego Padres it has been 10 years since their last winning season and 14 years since their most recent playoff appearance. Since AJ Preller took over as general manager there have been some big-name signings and a share of hype but little in the way of actual results. Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler has warned that changes will be coming if the Padres don’t start winning for 2020. The win total of 82.5 does portend of a winning season. And there are legitimate reasons for optimi... 

As recently as 2014 the San Francisco Giants were World Series champions and enjoyed their status as a perennial contender that won three Fall Classics from 2010 through 2014. But since their last playoff appearance in 2016 the Giants have fallen on hard times. San Francisco has not posted a winning record in the past three years. And although they managed to turn a profit on the MLB board for 2019 the three previous seasons were a blood bath. The Giants rebuild continues with the departure of c... 

On one hand the Los Angeles Dodgers 2020-win total of 101.5 looks like a very attainable goal when you consider that they won 106 games for the 2019 season. Additionally, LA won 104 games in the 2017 season. But the fact remains 100-win seasons are rare for any team, including the Dodgers. Prior to that 2017 season the last time the Dodgers posted a triple digit win campaign was all the way back in 1974 when they won 102 games. And the only other time they cleared the 100-win mark in LA was in 1962 with a total of 102 victories. Certainly, the Dodgers are the overwhelming favorite to win the National League pennant. But they won’t have to surpass 101.5 regular season wins to achieve that goal. ... 

Although the Cincinnati Reds are coming off their sixth consecutive losing season there is a level of optimism about their prospects for the 2020 campaign that has not been seen since their playoff years of 2010, 2012, and 2013. Part of the reason was noticeable improvement on the mound, as pitching has gone from a weakness to a strength for Cincinnati. The Reds showed a seven-game improvement on the win-column for 2019 and a lot of gamblers have joined fans by betting the come for 2020. However... 

Following the franchise’s first last place finish since 2010, Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting ordered for a purge of his entire leadership structure. Team president Frank Coonelly, general manager Neal Huntington, and manager Clint Hurdle were sent packing. In their places arrive president Travis Williams, general manager Ben Cherington, and manager Derek Shelton. The Pirates finished the 2019 campaign with a record of 69-93 which included a jaw-dropping mark of 25-58 post All-Star break. T... 

When the St. Louis Cardinals are at their best it is traditionally because of a strong pitching staff. And that was certainly the case last year when the Redbirds ended a three-season drought to get back into the post season. St. Louis won the National League Central Division and made it all the way to the National League Championship Series. The return to glory was something of a surprise in a division that has been dominated by the Chicago Cubs. Now the question is if the Cardinals are here to stay or if the Cubs will roar back under new management. Also, in the hunt is a Milwaukee Brewers team that has made the post season the past two years and a Cincinnati Reds team touted to bust out after years of rebuilding. Offensive production remains the biggest concern in St. Louis. Let’s examine their 2020 prospects. ... 

The Milwaukee Brewers franchise is one that has not been synonymous with consistent success since its founding in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots. In fact, the Pilots flopped so badly that they bolted for Milwaukee during spring training of 1970. While there have been spurts of success here and there its been more losing than winning. And just once in their history have the Brewers hoisted the pennant, which they did in 1982 when playing in the American League. Since 1998 they have operated in the National League. And to their credit they have made the playoffs in the past two seasons and four times since 2008. But the Brew Crew faces the same challenges as all small market teams which means having to tear down and rebuild after making their occasional post season runs. ... 

To the eternal gratitude of Chicago Cubs fans everywhere Joe Maddon broke the 108-year jinx when he led them to the 2016 World Series championship. In fact, Maddon led the North-Siders to the greatest era in franchise history. However, there was also a sense that he had run out of gas as the 2019 campaign was winding down. Maddon and the Cubs agreed to part ways and he has since taken his talents to Los Angeles as manager of the Angels. Filling the massive shoes of Maddon will be David Ross, who has no managerial experience in the Major Leagues. ... 

The Miami Marlins begin with the lowest payroll in all of Major League Baseball pared with the worst fan support. Marlins Park was supposed to solve the problem but planners ignored one obvious fact; Miami is the ultimate front runners’ town and if a team doesn’t win, they stand no chance for fan support. And few teams have been more abysmal in the Big Leagues than the Marlins. Miami’s last winning season was in 2009 and they have not made the playoff since their 2003 ambush of the entire crowd ... 

If you want a great lesson on how not to wager on a hyped-up unproven overlay on the come the 2019 Philadelphia Phillies would provide a doctorate degree. The bank busting contract for then free agent Bryce Harper sent fans and gamblers into an irrational hysteria. This was despite the fact that Harper was joining a team that had not posted a winning season since 2012 and had not turned a profit on the MLB betting board since 2011. The Phillies institutional challenges of a mediocre roster battl... 

When it comes to handicapping the Atlanta Braves regular season win total for 2020 the most important thing to remember is that it is indeed for the regular season. The Braves are notorious for their playoff failures, including last year, but in the regular season they have been good as gold. Atlanta won 97 games last year and 90 the season before that even as they were not expected to reach that number. The Braves have shown solid profits on the board in the past two seasons as well. This year ... 

Last year ended up as two seasons in one for the Washington Nationals. The Nats began the 2019 campaign with a record of 19-31 and were written off for dead as calls for the head of second year manager Dave Martinez reached a fever pitch. Especially after Martinez’s tough rookie season as a manager in which he went 82-80. But from that low point the Nationals caught fire and became the unexpected upstart World Series champions. Ironically enough it was Martinez that was the manager who ended the Nats history of post season failure. Now comes the question as to whether or not Washington can repeat as World Series champions. It certainly won’t be easy with the Atlanta Braves favored to win the National League East. Not to mention the departure of third baseman Anthony Rendon looming as another key factor. ... 

It has been quite the eventful offseason for the New York Mets, who emerged as a surprise contender in 2019. Now the question is whether or not the Mets outkicked their coverage last year. Management certainly didn’t think so as manager Mickey Callaway was fired despite leading New York to their first winning season in three years. Callaway had the Mets within range of the playoffs but they faded when it mattered most costing the skipper his job. Carlos Beltran was hired to replace Callaway but had to depart before managing a single game due to his connection to the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal. Luis Rojas was named manager on January 22 after serving as the Mets quality control coach. Where this leads for 2020 is the daunting task of handicappers who remain split on just how good New York actually is. ... 

Although they have had their moments the fact remains that the Seattle Mariners have never won a pennant since their inaugural season in 1977. Seattle has not made the playoffs since 2001 and has flopped when touted as a favorite. In both 2017 and 2019 the Mariners were picked as a contender based on surprise campaigns the year before. Instead Seattle proved to lack the quality depth and roster to be nothing but a pretender and tease. Seattle has posted only three winning seasons since 2010 and ... 

Despite a record of 78-84 for their third consecutive losing season the Texas Rangers showed a solid profit of +909 units for the 2019 season. Texas last made the playoffs in 2016 and is still searching for their first World Series title since moving to the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex in 1972. Although the Rangers have not had much in the way of recent success, they do embark on a 2020 campaign with plenty of optimism about the future. Sparkling new Globe Life Field will open its doors and offer ... 

Sign stealing has been going on since there were signs. True, the Houston Astros took it to a whole new level, but the virtue signaling and moralizing became over the top this past offseason. More to the point the Houston Astros are seen by many as damaged goods with the firing of their manager and general manager for the sign stealing scandal. But some sharps are smirking. That is because the Astros remain the deepest and most talented team in the American League West Division, if not the entir... 

A decade ago, the Los Angeles Angels were one of the most respected and successful franchises in Major League Baseball. To show, from 2002 through 2009 the Angles went to the playoffs six times and won the World Series in 2002. Manager Mike Scioscia ran the dugout during that span and stayed in his capacity through the 2018 season when he and the Angels both agreed that he was a dead battery. The unfortunate Brad Ausmus took over a shell of a team in 2019 and paid the price for a 72-90 campaign.... 

It would be difficult to find a more interesting franchise in Major League Baseball than the Oakland Athletics. That is because the A’s are usually a tremendous board value or a major money loser. Rarely is it anything in between. Lately Oakland has been a favorite team amongst sharps. That is because the A’s have been an under the radar playoff team that has produced some of the biggest profits on the MLB board for the past two seasons. But now the worm has turned. The spotlight is on Oakland to contend for the American League West division title. That, plus their consecutive playoff campaigns has some gamblers jittery about wagering value for the 2020 season. Let’s examine. ... 

Since their epic back to back American League pennants of 2014 and 2015 which included the 2015 World Series title the Kansas City Royals have reverted back to their old ways of being an also ran and big-time money loser on the MLB Board. Kansas City is coming off seasons of 58-104 in 2018 and 59-103 in 2019 with a steady shower of red ink for gamblers. Not much in the way of improvement is expected, although with an over under win total of 64.5, the Royals are at least favored to avoid another ...